Rolling-mill-spindle coupling



pril 7, 1925.

. l.. JOHNSON ROLLING MILL SPINDLE COUPLING Filed sept'. 12, 1924 NVENT R ranma, Apr. 7, 1925.

i EME JOHNSON, OF PITTSBURGH,.PENNSY LVANI'A, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED EN GINEER- ING AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

aoLLING-mLn-srmnnn conPLING.

Application filed September 12, 1924.l Serial No. 737,278.

To all wwm it may omwemf Be it known that l, LANE JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh,county of Allegheny, and State e of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rolling-Mill-Spindle Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

' Illhe present invention relates to universal l@ couplings, and particularly to the universal couplings which connect the spindles to the driving pinions and rolls of a rolling mill of the type, for example, disclosed in the patent to Geer, No. 1,041,773. in universal couplings of this character, diculty is experienced due to the fact that when the spindle end is uncouplebl from the pinion or roll neck, the slippers arefree to turn relatively to each other. Any relative 2@ turning movement between the slippers places their opposed flat interior surfaces out of parallelism. When this happens considerable trouble is occasioned in readjusting the slippers so as to bring their opposed dat faces into parallel relation to permit the projections on the end of the spindle to slide in bellveen these surfaces. By the present invention l overcome this difficulty `by journaling, on the cylindrical spacer 3o block arranged between the slippers means which slidably lits the opposed faces of the slippers and prevents relative y.rotary movement between said slippers when the spindlel is uncoupled from the pinion or roll neck, as the case may be, but which at the same time permits the slippers to rotate together about-the axis of the spacerblock as 'usual when the coupling is in operation.

lin the accompanying drawings, wherein Lo I have illustrated a the invention,-

Figure l is a View, partly in section, of the coupling between the end of a spindle and a roll neck or driving pinion, the sec- 5 tion being taken on the line llof Figure 2 and along a plane at right angles to the axis of the coupling bolt;

Figure 2 is a view, partly in section, of the coupling, the section being taken on the 0 line lll-II of Figure 1 and along a plane containing the axis of the coupling bolt;

preferred embodiment of Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View on the lineIH--III of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the coupling elements assembled.

In the` illustrated embodiment vof my invention, 2 designates the bifurcated end of either a roll neck or 'a driving pinion, and 3 lthe end of la spindle. The bifurcated end 2 has opposed concave interior surfaces 4 forming portions of a cylindrical surface,

the axis of which intersects the axis of rotation of the part 2 and4 extends at right angles thereto. Seated in these concave sur faces are the slippers 5 which have convex surfaces cor-responding thereto. Each slipper has a central rib 6 of convex form litting in a central concave depression 7 of the `corresponding concave surface a. This construction permits the slippers to rock in their seats about the axis of the concave surfaces 4, but prevents movement of said slippers in' p -a direction parallel to said axis.

The spindle end 3 is provided with spaced' integral projections 8 of substantially reci tangular form in cross section. These projections make a sliding fit with the opposed flat interior faces 9 of the slippers 5. Arranged between the slippers is a cylindrical spacer block 10 having -a hole 11 therethrough at right angles to its axis. A bolt' 12 passes through the bifurcated end 2 and also through elongated holes 13 in the slippers. The vspacer block is journaled on the central portlon "of the bolt between the slippers. f

' The construction so far described is substantially identical with the construction shown in the Geer patent above referred to, except that in the construction shown in the patent the flat ends of the cylindrical spacer block slidably engage the opposed fiat interior surfaces of the projections onthe splndle end, whereas in the present construction the ends of the spacer block 10 do not engage the flat interior faces of the projections 8.

As heretofore stated, in the coupling construction of the type shown in the Geer patent, when the ,spindle is disconnected from the driving pinion or roll neck, the slippers are free to turn relatively to each other, because the cylindrical spacer block does not prevent such relative turning movev ment. lin order to overcome this diiliculty,

. .fastened together the invention any7 two rotaryl elements.

lljournal upon the spacer block l() a' boxlikeelement 14: `which. is divided centrally linto two parts to permit the element to be spacer block. 'lhis element mounted `on the comprises two irdat end plates l5 engaging the .liat ends of the spacer block and adapted to 'slidably engage the opposed. flat interior faces of the projections 8. 'llhe lates l5 are provided with Hanges l@ vllaaving"concave cylindrical surfaces 17 engaging the cylindrical surface of the spacer the spacer block l0. permits the coupling-to functionin the usual manner, the same as in the construction illustrated-'lin the Geer patent referredto.` However, 'this box-like element prevents any relative rotary movement between the slippers 5 `when the spindle is uncoupled from theY roll neck or driving pinion. Y

t While rime illustrated and described my v invention in connection with the universal coupling between a spindle end and a driving pinion or roll neck, it will be understood that is not limited to such-application thereof, but that this improved universal coupling may be employed for coupling Moreover, while ve illustrated and described ...the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the invention is not limited Yto the details of construction shown,

'but may beotherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

Iclaiin:-' f 1.'Y In a coupling, a rotary member provided with a pair of projections'at one end thereof, aY secondrotary-member having a bifurcated end adapted to receive said projections, said bifurcated end having its opposed interior surfaces of concave cylihdrical form! slippers seated within said concave surfaces tofturn about the axis thereof and slidably fitting said projections, a cylindrical spacer block arranged between said slippers with its axis intersecting said projections, and vmeans journaled on said'block and adapted to prevent relative rotary movement between said slippers when said rotary members are uncoupled, substantially as described.

2. In a coupling, a rotary member provided with a pair of projections at one end block 'll`hc anges 16 on one of the plates l5 are pro- Ybetween said sli Maaate" thereof, a second rotary member having a bifurcatedJend adapted to receive said projections, said bifurcated end having its opposed interior'surfaces o concave cylindrical form, slippers seated within saidconcave surfaces to turn about the axis thereof and slidablylitting said projections, acylindrical spacer block arranged between said slippers with its axis intersecting said projections, andY meansrjournaled on said block and adapted to prevent relative rotary movement between said slippers when said rotary members are uncoupled, said means slidably Yengaging the opposed interior' faces of said rejections, substantially as described.

3. n a coupling, a rotary member provided with a pair of projections'V at one end thereof, a second rotary member having a biifurcatedY end adapted to receivesaid projections, said bifurcated end having its opposed interior surfaces of concave cylindrical form, slippers seated within saidconv cave surfaces to turn about the axis thereof and slidably fitting said projections, a cylindrical spacer block arranged between said slippers with its laxis intersecting said projections, means journaled on said block and adapted topr'event relative rotary movement pers when said rotary members are uncoup ed, and a bolt passing transversely through said'spacer block, said slippers and said bifurcatedend, substantially as described.

4. In a coupling a rotary member pro- .l

vided' with a pair of projections at one end thereof, a second rotary memberhaving a bifurcated end adapted toY receive s aidfprojections, said bifurcated end having itsopposed ihterior surfaces of concave cylindrical form, slippers seated within said concave los surfaces to turn about the axis thereof and E slidably fitting said projections, a cylindricalrspacer block arranged between said slippers with its axis intersectingsaid projections, and means journaled onV said ,block andv adapted to prevent relative rotary movement between said slippers when said'rotary.

members' are uncoupled, said means comprising end plates rigidly connected together and engaging the endsfrof saidr spacer block` and slidably engaging the opposedinterior faces of said projections, substantially as described. Y

A 5.4 InYV a coupling, a rotary member provided with a pair of projections at one endY thereof, a second rotary member having a i bifurcated end adapted to receive said proljections, said biurcated end having its opposed interior surfaces of concave cylindrical form, slipper seated lwithin Vthe said concave surfaces to turn .about the axis thereof and slidably fitting said 'projections, a cylindrical spacer block arranged between said` Vslippers with its axis intersecting said projections,v and means journaled on said block and adapted said spacer block, and means extending to prevent relative rotary movement between through said anges and rigidly connecting said slippers when said rotary members are said plates together, substantially as del0 uncoupled, said means comprising plates enscrlbed.

V5 gaging the ends of said spacer block, op- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set posedl fanges on said plates having concave my hand. j surfaces fitting the cylindrical `surface of LANE JOHNSON. 

